Trombosonic

A new digital music instrument played with gestures and breath

The Trombosonic is a new digital music instrument based on the foundational principles of the slide trombone. An ultrasonic sensor combined with a red laser allows the performer to play the instrument using similar movements to playing a trombone to change the pitch, by moving one hand back and forth even though there is no physical slider available. Furthermore, additional sensors enhance musical expression by gestural movement of the whole interface and by using the breath. Due to its compact size and the lack of a slider, the Trombosonic can be played in many different ways.

Video Academic Festival Overture
(Trombosonic and Symphonic Orchestra)

Video University of Vienna Official Welcome Film
(Featuring the Trombosonic while the Rektor speaks)

Scientific Articles

• 'Blending Dimensions' when Composing for DMI and Symphonic Orchestra
• Trombosonic: Designing and Exploring a New Interface for Musical Expression inMusic and Non-Music Domains

Lego Grand Piano

A real playable Lego Grand Piano to be used as musical interface

This is the first real playable LEGO Grand Piano. With my solution the Lego Grand Piano becomes actually playable like a real MIDI keyboard. You can now trigger individual sounds with all 25 keys, use the pedal and add expressiveness with an additional slider. Furthermore, the solution is cost-effective, unobtrusive, removable, reliable, flexible and you do not even need to solder anything.

Key to my design solution is the unobtrusive and removable nature of this electrification. This piano is a brick-built model that might serve as a display model or that might be rebuilt at some time. Thus, the most important design goals were to apply all electronic parts best possibly hidden in the inside of the model and allow all electronic parts to be removed again without traces.

From an engineering perspective, my solution is cost-effective, reliable and easy to replicate. All electronic parts needed are commercial off-the-shelf products with costs around 60 to 80 Dollars depending on how you buy them. The electronic circuit to electrify all keys is designed as simple and reliable on and off switch mechanism. The assembly takes a couple of hours but does not require special knowledge. Soldering is reduced to a minimum and it is even possible to avoid soldering completely for people less adept to electronic tinkering.

According to musical features the instrument offers 25 individually playable keys arranged in two octaves of white and black keys. Furthermore, the pedal is electrified as well to be used for additional musical effects. An additional slider (or fader) enables expressiveness to playing the keys and pedal. In the standard configuration the piano plays standard MIDI notes and control values which are sent out through a MIDI connector to be received by any MIDI compliant device. But as with any MIDI keyboard, you can use your own mapping for using the keys, the pedal and the slider for your own musical purposes.

Video The First Real Playable LEGO Grand Piano
Explanation and Demo

TMAP Design Cards

Design of technology-mediated audience participation in live music

The TMAP Design Cards are a set of 46 design cards plus 3 instruction cards for the design of technology-mediated audience participation (TMAP) in live music. Using a card-driven design process is new to music interaction design. From a design perspective this card-driven design process supports finding ideas, changing ideas, and examining ideas from different perspectives.

Historically, audiences have had various ways to participate in live music performances, including clapping, dancing, swaying, whistling, and singing. More recently, mobile and wireless devices, such as smartphones have opened up powerful new opportunities for audience participation. However, design for technology-mediated audience participation (TMAP) can be challenging musicians and audiences have different demands, as does the coherence of the music, and group needs can vary widely. Thus, effective TMAP design requires the balancing of knowledge from diverse perspectives and must take into account the needs of diverse roles in creating and supporting performances. The TMAP Desgin Cards are relevant both to music interaction researchers and the broader HCI community. From a design perspective this card-driven design process supports finding ideas, changing ideas, and examining ideas from different perspectives.

Video TMAP Design Cards
Create an interactive music performance

Download TMAP Design Cards

• One card per page in raw format
• One card per page with frame
• Single side print on A4 to cut out and glue together
• Double side print on A4 and cut out
• Small size on A4 six cards per page

Scientific Article

• TMAP Design Cards for Technology-Mediated Audience Participation in Live Music (https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-92069-6_3)

Breaking The Wall

Playful interfaces for audience participation in musical live performances

Breaking The Wall was an art-based research project funded by the FWF (Austrian Science Fund). It was the first of its kind lead by a technical university in Austria.

With Breaking The Wall, we explored how to use technology to involve the audience in music performances. We designed and developed different interactive systems together with artists using robots, smartphones and laser technology. These systems were deployed in a public performance in spring 2017 in the Kuppelsaal of the Vienna University of Technology, Austria.

Another performance of Breaking The Wall happened at the Opening Concerts of the Ars Electronica Festival in fall 2017 in Linz, Austria.

Video Breaking the Wall
Two minute project summary

Video Ars Electronica 2017 Performance
Two minute summary

Official Project Website
https://www.piglab.org/breakingthewall

Sparkling Instruments

Creating new music instruments with teenage school students

In cooperation with a Viennese school we developed 36 new music instruments with the students aged from 15 to 16. The students learned playful possibilities to interact with music and created them technically in the form of new electronic music instruments in a series of workshops . A closing public event was organized by the participating school students, where these instruments were presented to the school community and the public.

The aim of Sparkling Instruments was to bridge the gap between art and technology in school education. In this highly interdisciplinary context the goal was to improve the students' understanding of new forms of music making and increase their interest in STEM subjects such as computer science and physics, which are involved in the construction of digital musical instruments. A special focus is fostering the interest of girls in STEM subjects.

Official Project Website
https://www.piglab.org/sparkling-instruments

Sandra

A drumkit visualisation for concerts with kids

In collaboration with the drummer and musician Franz Löchinger, we created two prototypes of a smiley visualisation for his bass drum. One prototype uses a customised LED matrix to fill the bass drum in full size. The other prototype is based on a square flat screen with high resolution.

The drumkit was customised for "Sandra - the speaking drumkit" (Original German title: "Sandra - das sprechende Schlagzeug") which is a show created and hosted by the musician and drummer Franz Löchinger.

Official Website
ttps://franzloechinger.com/drums4kids/